


What We Do in the Shadows

by LexiCon



Series: Dlots stories [6]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Attempted Sexual Assault, Blue Needs a Hug, Blue is an instagramer, Blue is an internet celebrity, Blue's phone addiction, Cyber stalking, He also needs a hug, Kidnapping, Make their brothers sad and they will destroy you, No More Resets (Undertale), Other, Protective Papyrus (Undertale), Psychological Horror, Psychological Trauma, Rex and Pup are trying their best, Swapy is a good brother, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, Viper does a concern for his friend, Viper is a prince, actual stalking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:14:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24510628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexiCon/pseuds/LexiCon
Summary: When Chara suggested that he set up an Instagram to boost his self-esteem, Blue didn't actually think that it would actually work. He'd post some pictures and maybe a video or two and he'd get a few likes. Nothing spectacular.Three years later and Blue was proud of the modest yet significant follower count he'd achieved. And not once did he ever think of all of the faceless people who liked his content and pictures; all of those faceless entities hiding behind their computer screens...
Relationships: Blue & Pup/Rex, Blue & Swapy, Blue & Viper, Papyrus & Sans (Undertale), Sans & Sans (Undertale), Underswap Papyrus & Swapfell Papyrus, Underswap Sans & Swapfell Papyrus, Underswap Sans & Swapfell Sans, Viper & Pup/Rex, Viper & Swapy, swapfell sans & swapfell papyrus, underswap sans & underswap papyrus
Series: Dlots stories [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1486769
Comments: 12
Kudos: 32





	What We Do in the Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> How much angst can I fit into one fanfiction? Let's find out shall we? 
> 
> Welcome my Lovelies to my newest delve into the DLOTS universe :3 please be aware and pay attention to the tags. There are some not so nice parts to this fic. If anyone is triggered by the contents PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not read!!
> 
> This story takes place immediately after Viper's ceremony.

Prologue

_ The night of Viper’s ceremony _

It was calm that night. After the heat of the day, the cooling air of the night was soothing to his overheated bones. The light breeze that shifted the flowering trees, and grass ruffled his scarf so much that he had to constantly push it out of his face.

Blue sighed when he finally stepped into his house that afternoon. He slumped heavily backwards against the door, knocking his skull against the wood. He was fucking exhausted. He didn’t know what he was expecting when he went to visit Viper yesterday. Having to help the other skeleton through a minor existential crisis after being named Prince of Monsters was decidedly not it. 

Having to fend off their brothers and friends didn’t help either. He knew that they meant well, but his poor best friend looked like he was about to collapse under stress. He was more than happy to support his best friend when he needed it, but goddamn did it exhaust him.

He was just glad that he was able to get Viper to calm down. Even if his nonexistent stomach had been rearranged in the process. Now though, he was glad to be back in his own space. With his older brother still at work, and Chara headed off on a school trip, the house was deadly silent. And honestly, he kind of preferred it that way. 

It’d been awhile since his social battery had been this low. He’d forgotten how tiring it was to be around so many extroverted people. The silence that met him was soothing and he smiled slightly and released the tension that had built up in his shoulders over the day. He crossed the living room to where the sofa was, switching on the lights before walking around it to flop down on the cushions.

From somewhere in the house he heard the guttural trill of his pet bird, Kiki. He laughed lightly and stretched out. “Over here, Little Girl,” he called out. Kiki trilled again and appeared at the top of the stairs. He grinned as the tiny creature hopped down the stairs toward the sound of her beloved owner. She hopped up beside him as soon as she reached the sofa and let out a shrill call of indignation. Blue laughed out loud and held up his hands in defense of her irate scolding.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he chuckled. “Your uncle Viper needed me for the night. We don’t want Uncle Viper to be sad do we?” The kiwi seemed to accept his answer and forgave him, settling down next to him.

“It’s just us tonight though, Kiki,” Blue murmured, stroking her downy feathers. He sat in silence, letting the peacefulness of the night wash over him as he sorted through his thoughts.

He wanted to do something to cheer up his best friend. But what? Aside from convincing the queen to change her mind (which he didn’t see happening any time soon) what could he do. He’d never seen Viper look so incredibly put out before and he hated to see that defeated look on someone he cared about. 

What could he do to help him? He frowned as he tried to remember the things that usually made Viper happy. He knew that his friend liked lavender a lot. His room was practically covered in the stuff. Blue didn’t think that he needed anymore. 

Didn’t Viper like to knit as well? Maybe he could get him some new needles or something? But Viper did often complain that he didn’t have enough time to indulge in his favorite hobby, so maybe not… Besides, he didn’t even know where to get supplies for it. His brow bones furrowed. Kiki chirped as he slowed his petting. He smiled down at her and ran a thumb over her head. 

Could he convince him to take another vacation? Was that possible? He was seriously at a loss. What else helped the other skeleton calm down? He had a vague memory of Viper smiling as he ate some kind of dessert… now what was the name of it again….

He heard a ping from his phone, alerting him of a new notification. He grinned. Well he hadn’t posted a vlog in a while either…. He stood up and stretched. Looks like a late night shopping trip was in order. 

~ ~ ~

_ Viper’s PoV _

He didn’t want to do  _ anything _ . Without Blue around to distract him from his thoughts he just couldn’t find the motivation to move from his spot on his bed. Iris had taken Pup out to give him some peace and he really couldn’t decide if that made it better or not. The young skeleton stared up at his dark ceiling with dull eyes. He just wanted to forget that this whole stupid day had even happened. The only thing that had made it even a little better was his best friend coming over, but even the other monster couldn’t ease the chaos going on in his mind.

He sighed and closed his eyes. Maybe some sleep would help him get his thoughts straight. 

It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes later when he heard his phone chime. He blinked open his eyes and shifted to look at his phone on his bedside table. He squinted at the bright light that lit up his room. He picked it up and glared at the notification that sat innocently on his screen. It was from YouTube.

Rubbing at his eyes, he unlocked his phone. He blinked, his tired brain trying to process what he was reading. Blue had apparently updated… Surprising, considering that he’d only left his house a few hours ago. Jesus, the guy didn’t waste any time when it came to his stupid social media sites did he. 

That wasn’t fair though was it? Even if Viper’s whole world was currently imploding, that didn’t mean that everyone else had to put theirs on hold.

He exhaled heavily and went to lay the device back down. The video would still be there in the morning. Just as he was about to turn the screen off, he read the actual title of the video. “ _ Learning to bake: Epic flan failure.”  _

His eyes widened as the swapfell monster sat up, confused. He’d thought that Blue hated sweet things.

Well shit, now he was really curious. He clicked on the thumbnail. Blue appeared on his screen, grinning madly, his kitchen lit up in the background and an array of ingredients on the counter in front of him. 

_ “What’s up YouTube,”  _ he said brightly.  _ “So the bestie has had a rough day and I know for a guess that his favorite dessert is flan. So I went to the www.theinternet.com; found a recipe and I’m gonna make one.”  _

Viper couldn’t stop the smile from stretching the corners of his mouth. This stupid monster… 

_ “Can’t be too hard … right?” _

  
  


Viper was in stitches by the time the short video was over. Everything that could have gone wrong for Blue  _ had  _ gone wrong. Between pouring way too much liquid into his batter (he had used the wrong measuring cup) and even setting the oven on the completely wrong temperature so that it hadn’t even baked properly, it was a wonder that the flan had come out of the pan looking vaguely cake shaped at all before dissolving into a goopy mess on his counter.

His spirits lifted, he immediately closed out of the app and opened his messages. 

  
  


_ 10:47 pm _

_ Viper: I’ll be sure to have plenty of condensed milk next time you come over. _

_ VIper: Since you seem to like it so much :) _

_ 10:48 pm _

_ Blue: #(@X!?! _

_ Blue: Shut the hell up Grandma! My ego has taken enough of a beating _

_ Blue: I knew I should have just gotten you those stupid knitting needles XD _

  
  


Viper was honestly touched that Blue had even remembered that he liked to knit, nevermind the fact that he’d dedicated a whole video to him in the first place.

_ 10:56 pm _

_ Viper: You don’t have to do that. Thank you anyway btw. The video was funny. But you suck at baking _

_ VIper: maybe just buy the cake next time? Before you completely destroy your kitchen _

_ 10:59 pm _

_ Blue: yeah yeah. Whatever you say Grandma _

_ Blue: shouldn’t you be asleep now tho? _

_ 11:01 pm _

_ Viper: Yeah, tried. Brain won’t stop. So no sleep for me :( _

_ 11:05 pm _

_ Blue: Shit that sux :( I hope you get some kind of rest tho.  _

_ Blue : I can stop by again tomorrow after training if you want _

_ Blue: Without the stupid cake tho. I never want to see another goddamn flan again. 0/10 dessert. Would not recommend. _

  
  


Viper laughed loudly at that. He could just see his friend pouting as he typed his response. But the other was right. He really did need to get some sleep. Tomorrow was bound to be just as crazy as tonight had been.

_ 11:12 pm _

_ Me: Sure. I’ll let you know when I get home _

_ Me: HEY! You take that back. Flan is the best thing in the whole world! >:( _

_ Me: Fite me! _

_ 11:15 pm _

_ Blue: Whatever you say Princess XD _

_ Blue: See you tomorrow! Nite! _

  
  


Viper typed out goodnight to his friend and laid back down against his pillows. His smile still hadn’t gone away as he rested his phone on his chest. 

It was good to know that despite whatever circumstance, some people never changed. 

  
  


~ ~ ~

  
  


_ Blue’s PoV _

The next morning, Blue woke up before his alarm sounded. The sun was peeking through his curtains at the perfect angle to shine directly into his eyes, causing the skeleton to wince slightly as he blinked them open. He yawned and snuggled deeper under his comforter, hoping to catch just a few more minutes of sleep before he had to start his day. 

He sighed his phone chimed from beside him. Okay, apparently not. He grumbled as he reached for the device. Well, if nothing else, then he could at least take his morning selfie from his bed today. 

He shuffled around so that he could look at his phone and unlock it. Sleepily he scrolled through the myriad of messages and notifications that awaited him. Most of them were comments and likes from his latest upload from YouTube; he’d go through those later. There were a few comments on his most recent pictures on Instagram. There were even a couple of messages from his brother and Viper. He tapped on those first.

_ 7:04 am _

_ Big Bro: I’m banning caramel from the kitchen _

Blue physically stuck his tongue out the screen. He had a feeling that he wouldn’t be living down that particular failure any time soon. 

_ 7:28 am _

_ Lil Bro: We’re banning honey then too Bitch B[ _

_ Lil Bro: Oh btw, I’m heading to Viper’s again after training. Feed Kiki for me tonight? _

_ 7:30 am _

_ Big Bro: Sure thing Bro. Be home before midnight? _

_ 7:31am _

_ Lil Bro: YOU’RE NOT MY REAL MOM >B0 _

_ Lil Bro: I will, unless Grandma needs me to stay.  _

_ 7:34 am _

_ Big Bro: okay Bro. Stay safe!!  _

  
  


Blue switched the conversation after letting his brother know what he was up to for the day. He pulled up the message to see what his best friend had written.

_ 6:20am _

_ Viper: Have the whole day off. So come over whenever :) _

_ 7:40am _

_ Blue: Aw, but I gotta train B(  _

_ Blue: Maybe do lunch? My treat.  _

He didn't expect an actual response yet. Viper had probably gone back to sleep right after and he didn't want to disturb him if he was actually getting some rest. He stretched out and yawned. Glancing at his alarm clock, he noticed that he only had about 15 mins before his alarm was supposed to go off. Might as well start going through some of his comments.

He tapped on the YouTube app and started scrolling through them. He recognized a great deal many of his regular subscribers. Nearly all 400 of the comments were encouraging him, telling how funny he was or offering helpful suggestions for the next time he attempted to bake something. There was one however that caught his eye in particular. On first glance it was innocent enough, but when he read it again, it sent a wave of uneasiness through his nonexistent stomach. 

  
  


_ Stargazer; June 1 2:46 am _

_ It’s so cute when you fail. But that’s alright, I still know your true value (heart emoji) _

  
  


Blue blinked at the comment. It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to his fair share of unsettling users. It came with the territory of having a large following on any social media site. This one though, left a bad taste in his mouth. Well that was enough of that for now then. He shut off his phone just for it to light up again with another notif. He scrunched his nose up and unlocked it again. It was another comment from YouTube from a video that was at least 6month old. 

He sighed and reopened the app to read what it said. 

_ Made4thestars; June 1 7:57 am _

_ I’ve been watching you for a while now and I honestly say that your friend doesn’t deserve you. _

Well he didn’t like that one at all. It wasn’t the same user but there was something familiar about how it was worded that didn’t sit well with him. He immediately deleted the comment and blocked the user. In the midst of him concentrating, his alarm sounded. 

He jumped, startled and rushed to shut it off. He’d just ignore the rest of the comments now. Maybe he’d show them to Viper when they met up later, see what he thought. 

As if summoned by just his thoughts, Viper’s icon popped up on his screen with a message of his own.

_ 8:01 am  _

_ Viper: Works for me. I’m choosing the place tho _

He grinned and stretched out his shoulders over his head and rolled his neck to stretch out the kinks in it. Today was going to be a good day, he could just feel it.

  
  


~ ~ ~

They were sitting at a table outside of a cafe near Viper’s place. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was high in the sky and the wind was warm against their bones. Plates with sandwiches and fries in front of them as they chatted about their days. Viper’s brow bones furrowed as he listened to Blue talk about the strange user he’d encountered that morning.

Viper took a sip of his water. He didn’t really understand the logistics of what exactly his best friend did on Youtube. Only that he’d recently reach 100k subscribers on his channel and that had somehow translated to him gaining even more followers on Instagram. Like he needed any more. 

The swapfell skeleton was never really interested in building up his own count. He didn’t really like putting his private thoughts on the internet and having people judge him for it. Most of his followers came from either Blue or Pup in the recommended list. But he enjoyed listening to Blue talk about it, if only because his usually introverted friend was always so excited about his achievements. 

“Are you sure that’s a normal thing though?” he asked as Blue explained the odd comments he’d gotten. “They don’t seem like your everyday overzealous fan. Have they commented on anything else?" Blue waved him off nonchalantly, shoving three fries intokoo his mouth.

"Not that I noticed, but like I said, it happens all the time.” he said, grinning sheepishly at his friend. Viper gave him an unimpressed stare and picked up one half of his sandwich.

“Well, whatever,” he muttered, taking a bite. He chewed for a few minutes. “As long as you’re okay with it. Did you at least block them so they couldn’t message you anymore?” Blue nodded and continued to pick at his food. 

“Hyeah duh.” he said. “It’s nothing that I haven’t dealt with already.” he gave the other what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Viper rolled his eyes and continued his meal

“Whatever you say Blue,” he told him. “Whatever you say. 

Prologue/end

**Author's Note:**

> SOOOO this was supposed to be much much longer. However fucking google ATE 5,000 words and I got tired of trying to remember what I had written so have a prologue while I cry over my lost chapter.


End file.
